1874-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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13 being so nearly on a dead level, and the fall being in a good degree below Cross street, it became necessary to cross Bed- ford street with a cut of about four (4) feet below the sur_ face of the meadow abcive the street. The Railroad we found to he five hundred and seventy-nine (579) feet distant from Bedford street ; and though there was a natural fall from the street to the Railroad, the cut at the street and the assumed descent of the grade, exhausted the natural fall, and required us to cross the Railroad with a cut of a little more than four (4) feet below the surface of the meadow at that point, and about two (2) feet lower than the ditch the corporation had sunk beside their rood. From this point our assumed grade required a cut of from four to six and a half feet below the surface. This was the most expensive part of our draining in this meadow. The depth of the cut and the quick sand, which was encountered.ou some portion of the line, rendered the work both difficult and expensive. 'WYe have sometimes been asked, why we did not keep upon the westerly side of the Railroad, and so save the ex- pense of the two costly culverts through the Railroad? To every one who has examined the subject, and who has anything like a just appreciation of the fiicts, the answer must be obvi- ous. We could not do it consistently with the statute under which we acted. We were required to drain the meadows, and the plan suggested would leave the greater part of the meadows below Bedford street, entirely undrained. Besides, the act itself contemplated our passing the Railroad with one or more culverts. But an objection perfectly destructive of such a plan, is . drawn from an express provision of the statute. After au- thorizing the lowering of the main channels in these mead- ows for the express purpose of draining them, the act declares, "That for the purposes aforesaid, the town may make such excavations and cut such cross and side drains or ditches, in said meadows, or in the low and swampy lands connected therewith, as may be deemed necessary." Now to continue our drain down upon the westerly side of